Joint for the members of bar structures



March 6, 1928. 1,661,873

' B. BUXBAUM JOINT FOR THE MEMBERS OF BAR STRUCTURES Filed March 8, 1924 Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES IBERTHOLD :Buxsnum, or IBERLIN-CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY.

JOINT FOR THE MEMBERS OF BAR STRUCTURES.

Application filed March 8, 1924, Serial No.

My invention relates to a joint, i. e. to a plurality of joint-members, by which the members of bar-structi'u'es can be connected with each other quickly and reliably in such a manner that the respective bars can also be disconnected quickly and conveniently. This joint is intended chiefly for provisional structures, such, for instance, as sheds, supports for awnings, and similar or other provisional structures as are often times rendered necessary for industrial and other purposes. The joint can, however, be used also in connection with mechanical models that can be taken to pieces, as well as in connection with toy-structures imitating, for instances, bridges, frames of various kinds, and the like. The improved joint consists essentially of two or more separate tubular members, or tube-like parts or pieces respectively, having each a fiat lug extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, one of these lugs being provided with a hole and the otherwith a projection adapted to engage that hole and extending oppositely to the tubular part of the respective oint member so that an end of one of the bars to be connected with each other by the joint can be put through the respective tubular part when the joint members arearranged coaxially or at an angle whereby the projection is retained in the hole and the jointmembers are connected with each other, as are also the bars to which the joint-members are attached. 1

My invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which 1 i Fig. 1 is a side-view of one of the jointmembers mentioned, the lug of the tubular part being provided with a hole;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the member shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is an illustration s milar to Fig. 1, but the lug is provided with a projection;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5'shows the joint-members of Figs. 1 and 3, or 2 and 4 respectively, connected with each other; Fig. 6 is a separate representation of the bar by which the projection of one of the joint-members is checked in the hole of the other joint-member;

Fig. 7 is a crosssection of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a section of a modified form of the joint-member shown in Fig. l;

697,895, and in Germany March 13, 1923. i

F ig. 9 illustrates a further modified form showing the means for checkingthe bar in the joint-member; a

Fig. 10 shows three members of the kind illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 united with each other in such a manner as to represent one piece;

Fig. 11 shows 'how with the aidof the tion; and

Figures 12 and 13 show means for adjusting the two joint-members in various angular positions relatively to one another.

Fig. 1 1 is a section in the directionof the line 14-14 of Fig. 13; they Figures 13 and 14 being in a larger scal i The improved joint consists of at least two members, of which one is devised according to Figures 1 and 2, and the other according to Figures 3 and 4. The first a girder is composed oint-members 1n quesof them consists of atubular part aand of a flat extension or lug I) provided with a hole 0. The other member is practically equally devised and consists of a tubular part a and a flat lug or extension 6 the only difference being that the extension or lug b has a projection (Z, the outer diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the hole 0 so that it can be put thereinto.

The joint members may be made of any suitable material, but in the selection thereof the special purpose or object for which the joint isintended should, of course, be considered. In the case oflight structures or of toys, the tubular part and the lug may be made integral and may consist, for instance, of an appropriately shaped and bent piece of sheet-metal, the tubular part being slotted throughout its length as shown in the draw- 111 joi nt member may be acast piece of suitable shape, size, 1 thickness strength etc. The projection d may, inthe caseof sheet-metal,

'be pressed out of the lug so as to be a hollow or tube-like projection and integral therewith, or, if the joint-member is cast, said projection may form an integral part of the cast member.

The two j oint-members are connected with each other so as to establish (see Fig. 5) by so arranging them relatively to one another that their lugs 12 and-b {respectivelylie opposite to each other, then putting the projection d of the one lug through the hole a of the other lug, and finally, shoving abare into the tubular part ;b of the in the case of heavy structures each the joint proper joint-member provided with the hole 0 so as to cause said bar to extend rearwardly out of said tubular part and to cover the projection-carrying lug b on its rear surface whereby the 'projectiontl is retained in the hole a of the firstmentioned lug andthe two joint-members are securely connected with each other, i

The bar 0 may have a tapered end 0 in order to facilitate its introduction into the respectivetubular part, and itinay also be provided with a flatsnrtace h (Fig. 7) by bar is further improved.

Another means for securing the ointmember on the bar in question is illustrated in Figure 9 where a screw Z is provided in the, tubular part, the screw. serving for clamping fast the bar a in the tubular part a or (1. 1 respectively.

The joint, practically, is a corner-connection oi: two bars one of which is shoved in a tubular partaand a respectively; It may be disconnected at any time merely by drawing the bars 0 out of the tubular parts encompassing them. The joint-members may be, arranged at any desired angle relatively to each other, and more than two jointmembers may be connected with each other at angles of any desired degree in order to form a. corner-connection, or the like. In the example shown in Figure 10 three jointmembers are connected with each other, and in the example illustrated in Fig. ll a plurality of joint-members devised according to the invention are connected, with each other so as to form a toy-structure being a part of abridge girder.

Suitable means maybeprovided to secure the two or more joint-members whichhave been connected with each other in their respective relative angular position. A particularly simple we 'is shown in Fig. 12

where the adjacent sides of the lugs are provided with notches f1 and with projections engaging the notches; and reversely, wherebyit is rendered possible to adjust the members to any of a plurality of angles and then secure them in the respective position.

In most of the cases the friction between the two lugs will be sufiicient for that purose. arising from the elasticity of the tubuar parts pressingthe two lugs b and b against each other.

It is obviously possible to secure the jointmernhers relatively to eaeh otheralso in otherv orximanbers relatively. to one ways than those above described as exaniiples and each part canbe so devised and shaped as is best consistentwith the method of manufacture desired orpreferred, as well as with the special purpose in view.

Iclaim:

1. A joint for members of bar-structures comprising, in combination. a joint-member consisting of a tubular part and a flat lu 1 extending forth therefrom in the longitudinal direction thereof and having a hole; another joint-member consisting of a tubular member, a. Hat lug extending forth therefrom in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a projection located on this lug and being adapted to engage the hole. of the other lag; and a bar adapted to be put through the first-mentioned tubular part 'and to check said projection in said hole,substantiallyas set forth.

-QsA joint for members of bar-structures comprising, in combination, a joint-member.

consisting of a tubular part anda flat in}! extending forth therefrom in the longitudinal direction thereof and havinga hole; another joint-m'elnber consisting of a tubular member, a flat lug extending forth therefrom in the longitudinal direction thereof, and. a projection located on this lugfland being adapted to engage the hole of the other lug;

and a bar having a tapered end and being adapted to put therewith through the firstmentioned tubular part and to check said projection in said hole. substantially as set forth. i

3. A joint for members oi" lair-structures comprising, in combinatirm, a joint-member consisting of a tubular part and a fiat lug extending forth therefrom in the longitudinal direction thereof and having a hole; another joint-member consisting of a tubular member, a llat lug extending forth therefrom in the longitudinal direction thereof. and a projection located on this lug and being adapted to engage the hole of the other lug; and a flattened bar adapted to be put through the first-mentioned tubular part, 'to check said projection in. said hole.

4. A joint for members of bar-structures comprising, in combination, a joint-member consisting of a tubular part and a flat lug extending forth therefrom in' the longitudinal direction thereof and having a hole; an-iv other joint-member consisting of a tubular member, a flat lug extendingforth' therefrom in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a projection located on thislug and being adapted to engage the hole of the other lug: a baradapted to be put. through the firstmentioned tubular part and to check said projection, and means tol'keep the bar and the first-mentioned joint-member in' their proper relative position, substantially asset forth.

5. An adjustable joint for the members of bar structures comprising, in combination, a plurality of joint-members consisting each of a tubular part adapted to be engaged by a bar and of a flat lug projecting forth therefrom in the longitudinal direction thereof and having a hole; another joint-member also consisting of a tubular part adapted to be engaged by a bar and a flat lug projecting forth therefrom in the longitudinal direction thereof; a projection on the last-mentioned lug adapted to engage said holes; and bars located in said tubular parts, the bar located in the tubular part having said hole extending rearwardly out of the tubular part over the lug of the other joint member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

DR. BERTHOLD BUXBAUM. 

